Victoria police are urging all road users to be extra cautious following the switch back to Standard Time, which has made many evening commutes suddenly darker.
The warning follows a crash between a cyclist and a vehicle at Bay and Blanshard streets just after 11 p.m. Sunday, the day the clocks fell back to Standard Time.
Witnesses told officers the cyclist did not stop at a red light and hit the side of the vehicle. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police gave the cyclist a ticket for failing to stop at a red light, not wearing a helmet and not having lights on his bike.
VicPD said they often respond to an increase in collisions around the time change, and encouraged drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to ensure they are seen and can see other road users.
Everyone using the road should scan their surroundings for pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles and make eye contact with others near them, VicPD said.
Drivers and cyclists should be using front and back lights in the dark, and pedestrians should consider carrying a light and wearing light or reflective clothing, police said.
About half of all pedestrian fatalities in B.C. occur between October and January as daylight hours decrease, according to ICBC.
